


how to talk to pretty boys who paint

by tyongluvinf



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Na Jaemin is Whipped, Temporarily Unrequited Love, They fight a little, i don't know how to tag, jaem is a psych student!, lots of self projection here, renjun is an Angsty Art Student, strangers to enemies to friends to lovers, very renmin centric, will add as i go hehe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:20:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29864223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyongluvinf/pseuds/tyongluvinf
Summary: “I've gotta have fun somehow, right?”“Somehow.”“And someone that’ll love me the way I want is here, right?”“Somewhere.”alternatively known as: Jaemin The Psych Student is determined to find a love that fits his own.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Jeno/Zhong Chen Le
Kudos: 9





	how to talk to pretty boys who paint

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello! i hate hate hate doing chaptered fics but GOODNESS i just had to write this because gah. renmin brainrot. 
> 
> i think i'm gonna give song recs at the beginning of each chapter lol so the first one is below!!
> 
> punchbowl : johnny martian

A breath escaped Jaemin’s lips as he set down the soju bottle. A boisterous Wong Yukhei, the captain of his university’s basketball team, sat in front of him, donning a lopsided grin. “So,” Jaemin fiddled with his fingers, not sure what he hoped the response would be from the puppy-like boy he spoke to. “What do you think about soulmates?” 

A pair of metal chopsticks clattered onto the table. “A little heavy for just a month in, huh?”  _ Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t s-  _ “I’d think we’d get to fuck before something that loaded came up, at the least.”  _ Aaaaand. Alright.  _

Jaemin chuckled, pushed the disappointment further down to his stomach. “Never said it was specifically for us, did I?” He surveyed the odd mix of amusement and panic on Yukhei’s face, obviously unsure what to make of Jaemin’s calculated indifference. “Doesn’t matter, I wanted to end things before your season anyway, so there’s no need to have little talks like this ever again,” he smiled curtly at the tall boy, noticing how even when getting dumped Yukhei’s eyes tracked their waiter around the room. “You know?” He raised his voice slightly. “You shouldn’t get involved with someone who you can take your eyes off of. You need someone breathtaking.” He draws in a breath, squeezing his eyes shut.  _ Why is this more painful for me than him? _ “I hope you find a love that keeps you guessing.” 

+++

“You’re the stupidest person I know,” Donghyuck giggled, dodging a pillow Jaemin chucked at his face. “Who  _ dumps  _ Lucas Wong? Besides, you knew what you were getting yourself into with a boy like that. You met him in front of a frat house.”

Jaemin lifted his head from the couch. “It was a  _ party.  _ Even the accounting majors were there,” he grumbled. “I thought I could fix him, in a way. He has the potential for a good kind of love, it’s just a matter of finding the right person to keep him there. I thought I could be that person.” Hyuck hums in response, dismissive. Jaemin sits up with an offended look on his face. “I mean, I  _ am  _ pretty, aren’t I?” He stands up and throws himself on top of his best friend, pummeling him with the pillow he’d thrown earlier. “Aren’t I Hyuck? Tell me I’m handsome and it’s strictly Yukhei’s problem!”

“Yes, yes yes, so handsome, so cool, so sweet, now get off  _ please _ ,” Donghyuck grumbled, laughing to himself. “For real though, it’s fine. He isn’t the love you want, though I could’ve told you that in the first place and saved you a month of blue-balling him.”

Jaemin rolls off of him, still clutching the pillow. “Someone’s gotta have fun somehow, right?”

“Somehow.”

“And someone that’ll love me the way I want is here, right?”

“Somewhere.” 

+++++++++

Jaemin played with his pencil, bouncing his knee under the desk, subsequently shaking his whole row of seats in his psychology lecture. Jeno set his hand on his leg, leaning over. “Bro, everyone is staring at you, chill with the bouncing.” Jaemin stayed silent and focused his fidgeting towards scratching the skin between his thumb and finger.  _ Five minutes. Easy. _

Professor Moon closed his computer and pulled out a clipboard as soon as Jaemin finished his thought.  _ Not easy. You manifested this. _ “Our midterm exams will be based on a profile of an individual chosen from a pool of student volunteers. Before you walk out of class, come up to my desk and I have a file chosen for you.” He gives a small smile and pulls a box of files, setting them on his desk. Jaemin scrambles to put his things away, pulling Jeno behind him toward the front of the class, unwilling to cut into his strictly-scheduled naptime for an  _ assignment.  _

“Thank you, Professor Moon,” Jaemin and Jeno singsong, taking the casefiles gingerly into their hands. Once back at his and Donghyuck’s shared dorm, Jaemin groans. “Fuck, I forgot to talk to Moon again.” He’d been trying for weeks to pick apart Professor Moon’s take on the way media and hookup culture had warped younger generations’ perception of love. He’d hoped to study it further and make it his thesis, but he was desperate for a professional opinion -  _ and maybe some validation; ‘Yes, Jaemin! Mr. Na, this is phenomenal! Something I’ve never pondered! _ \- c’mon. It was for a grade, of course. 

Jeno sat at the other side of Jaemin’s bed, laughing. “You’ll never remember a thing unless I remind you, did you even check who your subject is for the midterm?” Jaemin bit his lip, opening the file with feigned annoyance. He set the manila folder on his bed, letting Jeno see. “Huang Renjun? I think he’s friends with Chenle, from the Chinese association…” He continued to read down the page. “Visual arts major, same year as us. Heh, fear of thunderstorms. He’ll be fun enough.” 

**Author's Note:**

> AHAHHAHA PLEASE I DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE YUKHEI SUCH A DICK >:( hes my fav himbo i promise. 
> 
> will be back soon w the next chapter!! (they will not all be this short. i just literally felt like i was going to combust if i didn't post something soon.)


End file.
